Help Please with computer

Mohanned

My windows XP Profesional Service Pack 2 install cd does not like my Product Key. Any idea what is wrong and btw the cd is one of those install cd's you get with your dell laptop and my laptop is a dell too. Please help asap. Thanks all and Karma given like always

feylya

Which CD are you using and which Windows key - one for your desktop or one for your laptop?

Mohanned

I use the dell service pack 2 cd and for my laptop and it wont let me install it any idea at all please elp

feylya

Is it the Dell CD for your laptop?

Mohanned

feylya wrote:

Is it the Dell CD for your laptop?

Yes it sure is

L31mr0d

has anyone else had access to your xp cd or serial? Someone else could be using it?

Mohanned

L31mr0d wrote:

has anyone else had access to your xp cd or serial? Someone else could be using it?

I not too sure mate
I think so

feylya

What do you mean "it doesn't like my product key"?

Mohanned

I put my product key and it says ivalid product key

feylya

Are you sure you're entering it correctly? Eg, entering 0 instead of o.

Mohanned

I am very sure man

feylya

Have you called Microsoft?

Mohanned

feylya wrote:

Have you called Microsoft?

I will but dont have their number

awhir

oh jesus got off ur ass and use google.

Flaccus

If your laptop is a Dell laptop and your XP SP2 CD came from Dell, then there is no way XP asks for either a product key at any stage during install or after install. Neither does it ask for activation online. This is due to a thing called SLP installed onto all Dell PC's by XP which looks for particular bios strings that are Dell specific.

Are you sure you are not installing the "Corporate" version of XP, as this is the only verison I know off that asks for a product key prior to install (but usually no activation is required after beyond xp genuine validation when downloading updates).

The only other thing I can think of is that the bios on your laptop was borked at some stage but this is highly unlikely.

What model laptop is it exactly and what's the service tag no. on the back ?

Mohanned

Flaccus wrote:

If your laptop is a Dell laptop and your XP SP2 CD came from Dell, then there is no way XP asks for either a product key at any stage during install or after install. Neither does it ask for activation online. This is due to a thing called SLP installed onto all Dell PC's by XP which looks for particular bios strings that are Dell specific.

Are you sure you are not installing the "Corporate" version of XP, as this is the only verison I know off that asks for a product key prior to install (but usually no activation is required after beyond xp genuine validation when downloading updates).

The only other thing I can think of is that the bios on your laptop was borked at some stage but this is highly unlikely.

What model laptop is it exactly and what's the service tag no. on the back ?

I have a dell inspiron 6000 and service tag i give when i get home

Mohanned

awhir wrote:

oh jesus got off ur ass and use google.

I did that actuall first :mad:

SouperComputer

not to sound silly but....


Often the 8's get mixed up with B's in the licence key, give it a go.

Flaccus

Like I said if you have a Dell PC and a Dell OEM XP SP2 CD you don't need a license key. Something is not right here.

Mohanned

Flaccus wrote:

Like I said if you have a Dell PC and a Dell OEM XP SP2 CD you don't need a license key. Something is not right here.

i got my product key working and now it saying there is a missing file on cd :mad: microsoft are wrecking my head now :mad: i am changing to linuk if it aint working. it driving me mad. :mad: I cant stand it anymore:mad: any advice what up with missing file and best version of linuk? much appreciated :cool:

Steven_in_Cork

Hi,

FACT: Dell Install CD's dont use serial numbers when install Windows. They check system bios to identify it as a dell and dont need activation either.
Newer PC/Laptop use a hidden partition to reinstall windows, press a hot-key while boot, for convenience of installation and recover all incl. drivers etc.

Is your CD scratched? Is you drive maybe at fault?

Mohanned

Steven_in_Cork wrote:

Hi,

FACT: Dell Install CD's dont use serial numbers when install Windows. They check system bios to identify it as a dell and dont need activation either.
Newer PC/Laptop use a hidden partition to reinstall windows, press a hot-key while boot, for convenience of installation and recover all incl. drivers etc.

Is your CD scratched? Is you drive maybe at fault?

My CD is not scratched and my drive nothing wrong with it. I just has a missing file in installation and you cant skip it. I want to do an upgrade not a fresh install btw. I try get a screenshot if i can later on when i get home as i am in work now

Flaccus

Steven_in_Cork wrote:

Hi,

FACT: Dell Install CD's dont use serial numbers when install Windows. They check system bios to identify it as a dell and dont need activation either.
Newer PC/Laptop use a hidden partition to reinstall windows, press a hot-key while boot, for convenience of installation and recover all incl. drivers etc.

Is your CD scratched? Is you drive maybe at fault?

Yeah...I said all this earlier.

One thing to ad : The Dell System Restore (DSR) (Ctrl-F11 after post) will only work for him if his PC is either an Inspiron or Dimension made in the last 12 months. Plus it will not work if he has modified his MBR in anyway (Dell use a custom MBR), reinstalled his OS in the past and fdisked/formatted the C: drive, or if he has blown away the utility parition (the diag parition you can get into on bootup).

Flaccus

Mohanned wrote:

My CD is not scratched and my drive nothing wrong with it. I just has a missing file in installation and you cant skip it. I want to do an upgrade not a fresh install btw. I try get a screenshot if i can later on when i get home as i am in work now

Ah...an upgrade..that is a different matter...the CD you get from Dell is only for a fresh install. If you are upgrading from Home to XP or 98 to XP, then you are out of luck mate. The OEM CD is only licensed to work with a full install.

Mohanned

Flaccus wrote:

Ah...an upgrade..that is a different matter...the CD you get from Dell is only for a fresh install. If you are upgrading from Home to XP or 98 to XP, then you are out of luck mate. The OEM CD is only licensed to work with a full install.

Ah so i need to do full install and how can i back up my hard-drive mate cuz i cant find my windows cd

SouperComputer

FACT: Dell Install CD's dont use serial numbers when install Windows. They check system bios to identify it as a dell and dont need activation either.
Newer PC/Laptop use a hidden partition to reinstall windows, press a hot-key while boot, for convenience of installation and recover all incl. drivers etc.

Its not a fact, it's a half-truth. Some (Read: the minority) of these disks check the BIOS. The vast majority do not.

Steven_in_Cork

SouperComputer wrote:

Its not a fact, it's a half-truth. Some (Read: the minority) of these disks check the BIOS. The vast majority do not.

Sure,

but then when you installed your windows it wants to activate and tells you
that your serial number is not correct and your system is useless after 30 days.

You can use almost any Dell CD to install windows on a non dell computer (for 30days).

Regards Windows XP Home/Pro SP1a or greater...

Flaccus

SouperComputer wrote:

Its not a fact, it's a half-truth. Some (Read: the minority) of these disks check the BIOS. The vast majority do not.

Not correct. Let me elaborate. If it's a Dell OEM XP CD and you are installing it on a Dell system which was originally shipped with XP then I guarantee you 100% the OS uses SLP to check the bios strings. I know this for a fact because I worked on this software in 2 PC companies and when I worked in MS. If it's a Dell PC that was sold prior to XP then it's pot luck. If you use a Dell OEM CD on a non Dell PC, sure it will ask for activation, and you only get to use it for 30 days if you don't activate. The only XP OS I know off that requires a product key on install is the Corporate version.

Mohanned

Ok fixed it up called dell and they sent me new cd because i want mad at them :cool: Next question. What programmes do you recommend to install for computer please to get best performance and all
Please help

Flaccus

That's a pretty general question but assuming you have your video, audio, chipset drivers etc.. all installed I usually install

1. a decent dvd player - PowerDVD, WinDVD, Cineplayer any of those.
2. good dvdwriting software - I bought Roxio Easy Media Creator 9 Deluxe and I reckon it beats Nero in about every area plus has an excellent dvd player.
3. software for mounting images - daemon tools I like.
3. media player 11 and ie7 or firefox 2.
4. quicktime or alternative quicktime, real player or alternative real player.
4. codecs - usually divx, xvid, fdshow, ac3 filter, decccheck ...that's all I use
5. some office software - word, excel - that sort of thing.
6. utils to keep an eye on things - speed fan, core temp, cpu-z
7. benchmarking utils - 3dmark06, orthos, sisoft sandra
8. virus scan software - avg is decent and free for a little while longer
9. anti-spam software - windows defender is free and gets good ratings.
10. google desktop, google earth, google talk
11. bitcomet

Mohanned

Flaccus wrote:

That's a pretty general question but assuming you have your video, audio, chipset drivers etc.. all installed I usually install

1. a decent dvd player - PowerDVD, WinDVD, Cineplayer any of those.
2. good dvdwriting software - I bought Roxio Easy Media Creator 9 Deluxe and I reckon it beats Nero in about every area plus has an excellent dvd player.
3. software for mounting images - daemon tools I like.
3. media player 11 and ie7 or firefox 2.
4. quicktime or alternative quicktime, real player or alternative real player.
4. codecs - usually divx, xvid, fdshow, ac3 filter, decccheck ...that's all I use
5. some office software - word, excel - that sort of thing.
6. utils to keep an eye on things - speed fan, core temp, cpu-z
7. benchmarking utils - 3dmark06, orthos, sisoft sandra
8. virus scan software - avg is decent and free for a little while longer
9. anti-spam software - windows defender is free and gets good ratings.
10. google desktop, google earth, google talk
11. bitcomet

Sound man :cool: